ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners have criticised Dorset councils for "complacency" over air pollution from traffic.

East Dorset Friends of the Earth (FoE) said it has carried out trial pollution measurements at hot-spots in Bournemouth and Poole and had detected levels of nitrogen oxide in Poole far higher than UK permitted levels.

Until March this year there was an Air Quality Management Area (a zone where pollution levels are above the accepted threshold) in Bournemouth, along Wimborne Road in Winton.

There is still an AQMA in place in Poole, along Commercial Road between Station Road and Curzon Road.

Spokesman Martin Price said: "Local councils appear to be complacent about pollution levels and are taking few steps to resolve the problem.

"We have been unable to find information on Bournemouth council’s website on air pollution levels in the borough but we know there are areas where levels are high.

"Reports from Borough of Poole show that levels on major routes are increasing, when plans launched a decade ago promised major reductions."

As part of a national campaign by Friends of the Earth, the East Dorset branch are planning to continue their independent monitoring of nitrogen oxide levels in both boroughs, further sites will be monitored across the conurbation and the results posted online.

Details of FoE's results around the UK can be viewed at foe.co.uk/page/national-clean-air-map.